The House by the Oak Tree
by NonaRose
Summary: "...waiting for the night to drag by so he could come again, bearing another surprise. But for now, he would leave them in the hands of the house by the oak tree."/What happens when a family of 4 move into a suspicious house in a new town and odd things start happening? Can there be an explanation to the paranormal happening to them or would they be left with no answers? Modern AU


**A/N:** Okay, since I wasn't very proud of the way I started this story, I decided to rewrite it. I hope y'all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 **A/N2:** Some parts of the story is based off **True Events**.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters (sadly), however I do own the idea behind this story and the characters that are **unknown** to the Once fandom. Also, I own my terrible mistakes.

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Ghosts. Demonic Forces. Spirits. Djinn.

Whatever you wish to call the supernatural that surrounds us.

They are things most people believe in. It's a passion to some and an obsession, a handful of them worship them and some believe they're nothing but a myth, legends and made-up stories to creep people around the bonfire or scare children who misbehave.

But are they just _that_?

It's what this family believed until things began happening in their new home. From slamming doors to wailing children of the night, to talking toys and shadows passing by.

It was no longer a story they've heard, it was almost as if they were trapped inside a horror movie with two choices. A bitter end, or no end at all.

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 **July, 2006.**

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"Mommy, is this our new home!" The six year old exclaimed, his brown orbs wide at the sight of their two-story house. He was in complete awe. Just yesterday they lived in a small, one-story house with two decent sized bedrooms, a bathroom they all shared and a living-room too small to have actual fun in, and now they lived in a _castle_ , as he viewed it. It was huge in the eyes of a little boy, made out of something harder than wood, he noted as he patted the concrete wall.

"It is," his mother confirmed, a light chuckle escaping past her rosy pink lips. She ruffled his dark curls with one hand whilst the other held onto her husband's.

"Does this mean I don't have to share a bedroom with Roland anymore?" Their eldest asked, pulling his earphone out and wrapping it around his iPod before sliding the device into his pocket.

"For the time being, I'm afraid you boys are sharing." Robin said. His British accent making it harder for strangers to believe that he is the biological father of those two boys. Neither looked like him, they both favored their mother with their dark hair but unlike Roland, Henry's eyes weren't brown. They were green, much like his grandfather's eyes, his wife's father. It was something he often bragged about with it being one of the rarest eye colors in the world.

"But why?" Henry groused. He'd been looking forward to having his own room ever since they were told they're moving into a new house.

"Because Roland's room isn't finished yet, complications happened and his furniture won't be arriving until the weekend." Regina explained, looking down at their youngest who grinned up at his brother, showing off his deep dimples. The only thing aside from his bubbly personality that he'd gotten from his father.

Henry puffed out a huff and hoisted up his backpack over his shoulder, he walked past his parents, muttering something under his breath about the unfairness he has to put up with while walking straight into the house. The new place they now, will have to learn to call _home_.

"Why doesn't Henry like me?" Roland mumbled, gazing up at his parents with a pout.

"Of course he does, sweetie." Regina assured, kneeling down to his level. She placed both her hands over his arms and gave them a gentle squeeze. "He _loves_ you, but you see. Henry is a big boy now and big boys want their own bedrooms." She explained.

"And you're our big boy too now, because you'll have your very own bedroom as well!" Robin said, resting a hand over his wife's shoulder. "Remember when Henry didn't want you having all your stuffed animals put on display?" Roland nodded, "Well now you get to keep them anywhere you like."

"I can?" Roland beamed, earning himself a laugh and a nod from both his parents.

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There were a lot of boxes yet to be unpacked and put away but none of them had the energy for it. At least they managed to get the TV out and working though, the couch was set in the middle of the living-room and infront it, and that was about it.

Not only did Regina not have the spirit to try out another new recipe as she does every other night, there was noting to cook with yet. The fridge — though it was working — was empty aside from the cold and flu medicines, cough drops, half of Roland's sugar donut and Henry's soda, and a few water bottles too. So upon the boys request and demand, it was a pizza night on a non-pizza night at the Locksley's. Heaven on earth, as Henry claimed.

Regina wouldn't admit it out loud but she did enjoy a slice or two of pizzas every now and then instead of her low-calories, diet food. Because honestly, who wouldn't enjoy a slice of that dough baked to perfection with tomatoey sauce and melted, stringy cheese topped with salty pepperoni and juicy beef bits? Health freak or not, she would never turn down a good pizza.

Dinner was eaten, dishes were washed and rinsed. Leftovers were stocked in the fridge and the garbage was tossed away. The couple tiredly retired in their bedroom while the boys shared a bed in Henry's room, and of course, being the six year old Roland was. He couldn't stay still. He moved clockwise all night long, making it harder for his brother to sleep. "Roland," Henry mumbled angrily, giving him a nudge but the boy was just like their dad. A heavy sleeper that would probably sleep through an earthquake. "Roland, wake up!" He grumbled but the moppet didn't flinch, he softly snored, undisturbed by any of this.

Henry huffed and threw his blanket off, he swung his legs off the bed and got up. He might as well try and sleep on the couch until the weekend because sleeping here would give him nothing but bruises and a backache caused by his brother's continuous kicks and irritating shifting.

He grabbed himself an extra pillow and a thin sheet. It was a warm summer, there wasn't any need for anything as thick as the quilt their mother insists on them having. He adjusted the pillow on the couch and flopped down on it, tucking himself in.

At the tender age of just eleven, people would be oblivion to the fact that even kids his young have problems of their own. Some suffer anxiety and some suffer from depression, and although Henry wasn't depressed, he wasn't the happiest kid on the block. Not anymore at least.

Everything changed when his brother was born, he believed they favored Roland over him, and he often felt as if he wasn't good enough even though no one made him feel that way but himself. He isolated himself, pushed people away because of how _he_ felt. He forced himself not to care as much as he once did, and it was hard because after all. He was his father's own and the man was known for his big heart.

Henry sighed, his eyes fixed up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep, not after having the sleep kicked out of him by his brother but he didn't want to stay awake either. There was nothing to do and he would get in trouble if his mother finds him awake at this time; what time was it anyways? He frowned, perhaps 3am — at least thinks so. He readjusted his pillow and turned on his side, burying his face and curling into the couch when all the sudden a chill enveloped the room.

It felt heavy, as if there was another presence with him. "Hello?" Henry hesitantly turned on his back, glancing at his side from the corner of his eyes. No one, there was absolutely no one there. "Mom?" He whispered, "Dad?" But no one answered back.

It's just a part of his imaginations, he thought, in hope to calm his nerves and it helped, until a blood curdling scream sang throughout the house, awakening everyone with a start. Henry heard his parents' rushed footsteps as they bolted out of their bedroom into his to calm a crying Roland. He climbed off the couch and followed, padding barefoot up the stairs and into his bedroom to find his brother clutching tightly to their mother, violent sobs shaking his tiny figure. "What happened?" Henry asked?

"A nightmare, maybe." Regina said calmly, flashing the older boy a tight-lipped smile while rocking the younger one in her arms.

"Where were you?" Robin asked sternly, folding his arms infront of him.

"Downstairs," Henry told him, "I couldn't sleep here with him kicking me so I went and slept on the couch." He explained, earning a single nod and a faint smile from his father.

"Not a bad dream," Roland sobbed, shaking his head and looking at the familiar faces that were with him in the room. " _He_ was real." He whispered, "He was there." He said, pointing his finger to the corner of the room.

"Rolly, honey, no one is there." Regina cooed, planting a kiss to the top of his head. A simple act in attempt to soothe his fears.

"But I saw him!" Roland argued, turning his attention to Henry with a deadpanned expression, "You know I'm telling the truth, you told him hello before he came upstairs."

Henry's breath hitched, his eyes grew wide and he could've sworn that his heart stopped beating for a split second. How did he know about that?

"What is he talking about?" Robin asked, a frown settling over his features.

"I—I don't know…" Henry stammered.

"What. Is. He. Talking. About?" Robin demanded firmly through gritted teeth when he felt his wife's hand on his forearm, squeezing to calm him down and looking up at him with a pleading look.

"I really don't know!" Henry insisted. "I was just sleeping downstairs when I felt like someone was with me in the room, I said hello because I thought maybe it was one of you but no one answered so I shrugged it off." He explained, shifting his attention to his mother. "You told me when things like that happen it's just a part of my imagination so I ignored it."

Regina sighed, tightening her arms protectively around Roland, "It's nothing, sweetheart." She promised.

Unaware that while they soothed their son, telling him that those tales and legends were nothing but made-up stories to tell on a Halloween night or around the campfire to haunt a person's dream, that _he_ was lurking in the darkness. They didn't know that while they tucked their son back under the blanket securely and kissed him goodnight, that _he_ was watching over him as he slept, almost peacefully but not quite. Waiting for the night to drag by so he could come again bearing another surprise. But for now, he would leave them in the hands of _the house by the oak tree._

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 **A/N:** Please don't forget to review and let me know your thoughts about it. It makes me absolutely happy!


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